IMPORTANT THREAD

Hi, I'm sharing this thread from my CT board - very timely and relative to what so many of us are dealing with - I just had to share. What are your thoughts? http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/CT/a,messageboard/action,replies/board_id,4808/cat_id,44 08/topic_id,3684153/

Oh Gawd... Here we go because I have a whole bunch of thoughts on this topic... I haven't seen my surgeon since the day after surgery... well, except on television. When I was 6 months out, her office manager told me they no longer accepted my insurance and I was pretty much SOL. My pcp has been wonderful about filling in, but he's not a bariatric surgeon. I was told by my surgeon that I should weigh 125 when this was all said and done. Not a prayer in hell that would happen, even if I bought a box of anorexia. My sister who is much smaller boned than I am and the same height and a size 6 weighs 140. Telling me that I was supposed to get me to 125 kept me feeling like I was a huge failure. It's only been in the last year that I've realized that I'd have to take up crack if I wanted to get to 125. 125 wasn't a realistic goal by anyone's standards, but I felt like a huge failure because I never got there. I missed my own goal of 140 by 10 pounds. I hadn't even been going to support groups because I was feeling like such a failure when another patient convinced me that I was only hurting myself. So now I think that surgeons need to know when their patients are struggling this far out. Especially since struggling at 4 years out seems to be the norm rather than the exception. Maybe more attention needs to be paid to long-term weight loss and the return of a voracious appetite. I'm considering making an appointment with the surgeon and paying for it myself out of pocket. I want her to know what happens to us this far out and I want to know what kind of follow up and studies are being done.

Yes, and this was my point in posting this - to gain a perspective on seeing that what we're going through so far out of surgery is happening all over the country for other folks who are equally past their surgery dates. We're all struggling similarly with very similar symptoms, some more drastic than others, but so many of us talking about the same stuff - ravenous hunger that won't abate, weight regain no matter the huculian effort to "be good" - what I'm saying is that the surgeons performing these procedures, and their offices providing the support, must be mandated to address the issue of what's happening to our bodies 3, 4, 5, 6 and more years out of surgery - not only to keep the weight off to the best of our ability (and *****ally knows how possible that is, frankly, given what we're up against), but also - and at least as importantly - to not take on the crappy psychological guilt and self-loathing for 'FAILING' - look what you describe yourself as having felt this entire past year, Connie, and yet you kept this all to yourself - you never even hinted at this on this Board. You carried that burden all alone all this time - because why? Because some schmuck surgeon planted that seed in your head. Now what? What are we left with 5 years later? We're left with physically altered digestive systems that we're not even beginning to understand the ramifications of - we're only just now beginning to see that stomas get ripped wide open, and pouches can get really enlarged - but why for some and not for others? I know in my case I have NOT been abusing food - I have not been shoveling it in my face in huge quantities so that it I caused my stoma to enlarge to the extent it has. I've been pretty damned vigilent about healthy eating except for the M&Ms addiction - so why did my stoma become a gaping hole? WE HAVE TO MAKE THESE SURGEONS ACCOUNTABLE FOR POST-SURGICAL LIFE, NOT JUST PRE- AND WEIGHT-LOSS PHASE SURGICAL LIFE. This is not Jenny Craig or Weigh****chers. Our bodies are being altered for the rest of our lives. To what end??? Sorry - I'll shut up now. Don't you dare spend another nano-second feeling guilty. I'd like to find your surgeon and twist his nose off his face. Love you - Maureen

You know Ms. Maureen... after careful consideration, I'm pretty damned proud of myself and this board. Probably 99.9 percent of the other patients in my surgeon's practice have had the help of nutritionists, nurses, psychologists and the surgeon herself. From 6 months out, I've had just me and you guys to get me through this. I have to say that I've done every bit as good as any of her other patients and I've done it without a cadre of professionals. No one else in this support group I've attended for the last couple of months is as far out as I am, not by a long shot, and I've maintained better than most. That is a direct result of me being accountable to you guys as well as to myself. I think that coming here almost every day has been more beneficial than attending a support group with professionals for just a couple of days a month. There is a Back on Track event hosted by the surgeon's office in September and I plan to be there. I already have my seat reserved. I plan to ask lots of questions about stoma enlargement, long-term effects and anything else you guys throw at me between now and then. I knew when I had this surgery that I was going to be a pioneer. There aren't a lot of people who had this surgery before we did, so not a lot of subjects for lont-term studies. I knew when I had the surgery that there were probably ramifications down the road. You can't screw with Mother Nature and not get smacked back, but I was desperate and would make the same decision today. I'm good with being a guinea pig if it helps others, but I have lots of questions. Many, many questions. Lova ya all, Connie - Who's pretty dang proud of herself for being a pioneer and getting back on the wagon each and every time

very interesting read--i am in a hurry this morning- working early to leave early--guess i owe you all a catch up post- anyhow- my surgeon's office cut me loose at 2 yrs due to distance to office- and my pcp was about useless- ordered bloodwork ok but has no knowledge--and now--with no health ins this gal is sitting wishing she could get her labs done!! i have the scrip--it's probly too old to be recognized!!! i even know wherew the scrip is-tacked to the frig!!! i can eat gigundous amounts of food sometimes and other time si know that pouch is there! i am taking iron finally and seeing results... anyhow- got off track...sorry-good read reenie! thx! hugs

my surgeon, Dr.B,was great! he took calls spent time with you at your appointments. then the center closed (think BIG name center) I was not called and told about this I saw it on TV, I managed to get an appointment, he was sad that I had gained some weight back but we talked about how to fix it, then he gave me the list of doctors that were willing to take his patients, or I was told I would get the complete list of bloodwork and levels to giveto my PCP if I wanted that. I chose to go with the other surgeons so I called to make the appointment and was told they were not taking new patients...uhm... but ...nope nope nope! So I call the office...closed... found the new office DR. B was transferred to and called they wil not give me that information because they "didn't perform my surgery".... uhm,,,,, OMG... so I have not had an appointment for 2 years... my doctor has the bloodwork from before so he is just going by that...but do not despair readers....Dr.B plans to move back to the area and open his own practice...@@@ frustrates me! I need my surgeon especially with my current health crap... not a new guy who does not know me ...ugh... nic

Great read thanks Reenie. 125... good grief connie they were insane. I hate when people give out numbers that low. 'snort' eye roll. why the hell do they always go so low? I'm 5'4 and my healthy weight is 145. But if you go to other docs they go as low as 115. some even say 109! Seriously! Everyone is different. You have small bones and larger boned people. to give out a number that low is nuts. I wish that some of these docs would just GET REAL. wake the hell up and realize whats going on in the masses. 'sigh' too much like right. me...im a big failed case only in the area that I have soooo much to loose yet. I am a big winner because I lost 100 pounds so I don't think my weight loss surgery failed. I hate hearing people say that. 100 pounds is not failing. But I never even got CLOSE to my goal. but i had a feeling about that going in. jsut my genes and everyone around me I know in my family how incredibly HARD it is for everyone on my moms side to loose. I jsut want to be normal. Hell i'd settle for twenty pounds over my normal. I'd settle for overweight anyday. 'sigh' i'll never give up though. I tell you what... without this board I'd be lost in the weight loss battle. To me SUPPORT is way better than what any surgeon or doctor could provide. You all always inspire me and when I'm away from my boards I GAIN! so I think SUPPORT is crucial because it keeps us on track. Love you all!!!! ((Hugs)) Elizabeth M

thank you for the post...I think Ill make an appt..I havent been to my surgeon in 3 yrs. I started out as a light weight...only lost like 85 lbs but im OK with that. But I am curious to see what is going on now...why I can eat so much more, why sometimes Im sooo hungry... what will I be like 5 yrs down the road? This is an interesting topic...seems most are suffering the same and more research should definatly be done long term.

i had lost 83 # of my 110 to lose -then my hubby got so sick--i have regained about 33--positive swing is that i have KEPT off 50-- i have to keep saying that cuz otherwise i feel like a failure-- oh i was a "Lightweight" too and took a lot of ridicule for it!

Margo...I must compliment you...I just looked at your profile...and you look really GOOD! and I do like the short hair on you too.....